“And what would I need protecting from?” Concentration wasn’t possible when he was this close.
“Everything.”
“Ms. Montgomery and Mr. Myers, I hate to interrupt this touching moment, but I’d advise you to save your make-out sessions for when you’re off school grounds,” Mrs. Stanford said, her heels clicking on the tiles.
“We weren’t doing anything.” I peered around Colton. The music sounded muffled, but it wasn’t gone.
She sneered, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “Only because you got caught. Now, I suggest you both get to class.”
Colton chuckled as she walked away. “She’s just mad because she’s not getting any.”
“Well, I’m not either,” I said, then groaned. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Are you sure?” Colton’s gaze burned right through me. He slid his hand down my back, guiding me toward class. “All in good time,” he said with a sly wink.
“Um—you know that’s not what I meant. We’ve only been on one date.”
Colton stopped walking and scrutinized me. “I know. That’s what I like about you. You’re so sweet and innocent. Everything about you is perfect, your smile, your eyes.” He chuckled softly. “Even your quirks.”
I suddenly felt really warm and looked away. “If you think compliments will get you in my pants, you’re wrong.”
Did I have a mute button?
After the initial shock of what I said wore off, Colton laughed. “That wasn’t quite the angle I was going for. I’m not like that.”
“Then what’s your angle?”
“I want to know you.” His words sounded so sure, like he dared someone to try and prove him wrong. “And I’ll be there when you need me.”
“You know you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I always keep my word. In fact, I promise to take you out tomorrow night.”
“Oh?”
“You did lose a bet, remember? I get to take you on a date of my choosing,” Colton said as we stepped into class.
I had a strange sense of drowning. But the feeling didn’t frighten me like it should. Instead, I just felt safe.
When I jerked open the door the next night, there stood Colton, brown leather jacket with the collar high up around his neck, green eyes twinkling. He was so hot in a pair of faded blue jeans, brown leather boots, and a navy sweater.
“Hey, you ready?” He handed me a bouquet of wildflowers, the wind tousling his shaggy dark hair.
“Well, I thought about taking another shower, vacuuming the floor, and shoveling the driveway first.” I smelled the flowers. “Do you mind if I throw these in a vase before we leave?”
He followed me into the kitchen. “I take it your parents like lighthouses and ships?” He stared at the walls, shelves, and décor.
“Lucky guess. You should see the upstairs playroom. It has a ship’s wheel and tiny windows. My bedroom looks like the inside of a captain’s cabin. My dad even got me some of the old lanterns.”
“Is that an invitation to have a look around?”
“Sure.” I took him upstairs first, showing him the ship’s wheel, the bell, even the nautical brass spyglass that rested in one of the windows. My dad had built me a catwalk too, which led up to a little nook hidden behind drapes that looked like sails.
“Wow, this is amazing. I bet you had a lot of fun up here.”
Closing my eyes, I thought back to all the times I’d spent in the playroom. It was my refuge, especially in the winter. I’d go up there and imagine I was at sea, someplace warm.
“I played here a lot more than I should of.” I forced a smile. “Why don’t I show you the rest of the house?”
Colton caught my hand, giving it a squeeze. I gave him a tour of the different rooms, saving my bedroom for last. When I came to my door, I hesitated. I’d never let a boy in before. You could tell a lot from someone’s bedroom, like what kind of person they were.
I chewed my lip as Colton stepped over the threshold. His eyes scanned every wall. His glance lingered on my bed with the blue lighthouse quilt. My gaze drifted to the overstuffed mattress and back to him. Prickles crept up and down my neck, and then thud-thud, thud-thud. God, my heart was so loud. My face felt like I’d shoved it in the oven it was so warm. I cast a glance at Colton only to find him watching me.
“That’s a big bed,” he said.
“Yeah, you can fit a couple people in it.”
I might as well just toss myself onto the mattress and change my name to Cleopatra.
Sparks practically sizzled in the air between us and he took a step forward. I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants, half hoping he’d sweep me up off my feet and carry me to my bed. Then the reasonable part of my brain kicked in, reminding me I definitely wasn’t ready for that. Man, I was glad Mom wasn’t home.
“I suppose we should…” He pointed at the door. “Head out now.” His voice deepened and for a moment, he blurred in my vision.
With a sigh, I wiped my eyes and nodded. God, I hoped I wasn’t having hallucinations again. “Right, um, let’s go.”
Before I dashed down the hall, Colton’s arm wrapped around my waist. “Just so you know, I’m a gentleman, I’d never do anything you didn’t want to.”
A nervous chuckle found its way from my lips. “Good thing you can’t read minds then.”
“You deserve the best.” His lips grazed my ear.
The very sound of his voice gave me chills, but in a good way. My fingers traced his cheek.
“And are you the best?”
He grinned. “I don’t know, am I?”
Giving me a tug, Colton broke the moment and led me out of the house, to his truck. But all I could think about was his smoldering eyes.
Geez, what was wrong with me? I never acted like this. It was like he had some magnetized cologne or something that made me forget myself when I was with him. Or at least forget my inhibitions. I mean, I’d had a crush on him for years, but somehow this was more.
“So, where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
We pulled from the driveway, heading west, away from town. The surroundings grew more somber the deeper into the woods we drove. There was no light, other than from our headlights. No houses. No signs of life.
I bit back the fear that bubbled inside me to enjoy the moment. At last, Colton turned onto a dirt road, which looked more like a two-track. I caught sight of tiny glowing orbs weaving in and out of the trees.
I must be seeing things. I rubbed my eyes, willing the craziness away. So not the time for a breakdown. My stomach clenched with fear. This couldn’t happen now. It couldn’t. I’d never live it down if I had an episode in front of him. I took several deep breaths, visualizing palm trees and sunshine. I had to stay focused.
Soon we came into a clearing I realized was a parking lot. An ancient-looking cabin loomed ahead of us with a sign welcoming us to the WOODEN NYMPH.
After finding a parking spot, Colton shut off the engine then turned to me. “Wait here a second. I’ve got to run in and talk to someone.” He opened the door, sliding his long legs out first. “Keep the doors locked until I come back.”
What the heck was he worried about? I swallowed hard, trying not to freak out. Suddenly, I became too warm, too aware of the out-of-the-way place.
“Okay,” I said before he shut his door behind him. Oh, hell. What’d I gotten myself into? The Wooden Nymph was a pub and, well, I wasn’t old enough to drink and neither was Colton. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.
As I scanned the forest I heard eerie music. Like flutes calling to me from the darkness. My blood sang in tune. I reached for the door, ready to let myself out and follow it.
No. Colton said wait here.
A pair of glowing eyes pierced the shadowy tree line and stared at me. I undid my seat belt and shrunk away from the windows. Oh God, no. My hands trembled as I scooted across the seat. As I did, my foot bumped something under the seat
.
I bent down to see what I’d kicked. With a gasp, I stared at the long silver blade etched with strange symbols. A sword. Why would Colton have a sword?
Something in my head whispered to just put it back and pretend I’d never seen it.
A tap on the window made me scream until I saw Colton gesturing for me to get out.
“Holy crap, you scared me.” I placed my hand against my chest.
“Sorry, I thought you heard me.”
He helped me from the truck, clutching my hand in his. We walked toward the entrance where a big beefy guy stood at the door. He nodded at Colton, giving him a salute of sorts.
The interior of the Wooden Nymph was dimly lit, flickering candles centered on the tables, and rustic-looking chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. I inched closer to Colton. Several guys with long dark hair and leather pants regarded us. Some congregated around a pool table, while others threw back beer at the bar. They had tattoos, knives, and menacing smiles. Bikers, I assumed. But when they saw Colton they took a step back. Why the heck would guys like them be wary of him?
I could almost smell the danger in the room as couples danced to the rhythmic beats of drums and flutes. Each movement was enticing and made me dizzy. The air smelled like honey and sweetness, not at all what I thought a bar should smell like.
“So this is what all the fuss is about,” a woman with golden blond hair approached us and purred. She reached out a long red fingernail, as if to trace my cheek. “Hardly seems worth it.”
“Might want to watch your tongue, Caralina. Hate for word to get back to the woods.” Colton’s lip curled.
Her face paled and she stepped out of our way.
Okay, this date was getting stranger by the second. This so wasn’t my scene. Nervous, I cast him a quick look. “What was that about?”
“Nothing. She just likes to cause trouble.”
And apparently my date had a side to him I never knew about. Something told me I might not want to know that side.
We went to the back of the room, where Colton pushed open a door that led outside. An older man with gray hair waited for us. He gave me the first friendly smile I’d seen since getting there.
“You must be Salome?” He offered me a wrinkled hand. His grip was stronger than I expected, making me wince.
“Yes.”
“I’m Ferdinand, an old friend of Colton’s.” He ushered us toward a log fence. “You must be something special for him to bring you all the way out here.”
Colton’s arm dropped to my shoulders, pulling me close. “She is. I suggest you remind the others of that.”
The two exchanged knowing glances, then Ferdinand flipped on an outdoor light. A sleigh waited for us with Clydesdales hooked to the front of it.
“Are you for real?” I gasped. “I’ve never—”
“I told you this night would be memorable.” Colton grinned, brushing strands of hair from my face. “Not everything about the winter is bad—I wanted to show you.”
Geez, this must’ve cost a fortune. How the heck had he paid for it? Not that I didn’t think it was flipping awesome, but still.
Ferdinand helped me into the sleigh, then Colton. He draped blankets and furs across our laps, and then slipped into the front. He gave the reins a snap, sending the horses trotting into the night.
“What are those blinking lights?” I pointed to the tiny balls of illumination between the trees.
“The trail is set up with motion sensing equipment. It makes the Christmas lights blink.” Colton wrapped another blanket around my shoulders.
Giant flakes drifted from the sky and landed in soft, cool kisses on my cheek and nose. Bells from the harnesses jingled. We went deeper into the woods where ancient oaks and maples waved in the wind as if welcoming us home. We finally came to a clearing with a bonfire roaring. Bright orange, blue, and yellow flames danced in the night.
“Here you are. There’s a thermos of hot chocolate next to the bench. And we’ve got some stuff for you to roast, hotdogs and s’mores over the fire.” Ferdinand helped me from the sleigh. “Enjoy your time. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
Oh my gosh, Colton had done all this for me. There was a chair swing perched between two trees that faced the fire, along with a hollowed-out log. A pile of blankets and furs sat neatly folded on the swing.
“So, do you like it?” Colton whispered.
“It’s awesome. No one has ever gone to so much trouble for me.”
He took a hold of my hand and led me over to the swing, where he bundled me up beneath the blankets.
“You sit here, while I get our food ready.”
I watched Colton, his dark hair tumbling over his forehead, as the wind picked up.
When the hotdogs blackened, he put them on buns and we sat down to eat. It was surreal the way the snow glistened against the backdrop, sparkling like a diamond ring. Heat radiated from the fire and from where his leg pressed against mine.
Once we finished dinner we grabbed the bag of marshmallows. I charred mine until it was flaming like a torch.
“I think it might be overdone.” He laughed, handing me a graham cracker and a bar of chocolate.
“Nope, you’ve got to burn ‘em. It makes the inside nice and gooey.” I licked, or rather chewed, the sticky white marshmallow off my fingers. “I think I’m going to make a mess.”
And I couldn’t imagine how to not look like an idiot in front of him. Where was a sink and mirror when I needed them?
Colton chomped his down in two bites, leaving a marshmallowy residue on his lips. Giggling, I covered my mouth.
“Um—you’ve got something, right here.” I wiped at my own lips.
He chuckled, raising a hand to his mouth. “Did I get it?”
“Nope.”
He did another swipe, but it still didn’t come off.
“Since I can’t see what I’m doing, you want to help?” He waved me over.
I tossed the rest of my s’more in the fire and scooted nearer to him on the log. My hands trembled when I moved my thumb across his lips. He ran his hand through my hair, eyes blazing like the bonfire behind us.
Colton pulled me closer, until his forehead touched mine. Music swirled in the air, he smelled like chocolate, and I did all I could not to take a bite out of him.
“I thought you wanted me to help you get the marshmallow off?” I murmured. My first kiss. Oh God, it was going to happen. Finally.
“I do.” He moved closer yet.
His lips grazed mine sending shock waves through my body. My lids drifted shut as I wound my arms around his neck. Our bodies pressed together and he deepened the kiss, his mouth warm against mine.
He tasted so good and his tongue. Oh my God, I couldn’t think straight. I’d never been drunk before, but I felt kind of lightheaded—almost like my body was going through these motions without me.
He leaned me back, propping himself above me. My fingers traced the chiseled contours of his face as he eased away and stared down at me.
Then all at once, a strange look came over him like he’d just been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Colton stood, bringing me with him.
“What’s wrong?” I touched my lips where his had just been.
He grinned, clutching me against his chest. “Nothing. I just don’t want you to think I’m moving too fast.”
I rested my head against him. “I wouldn’t think that. And, if I’m being honest, you’re kind of my first kiss.”
“Kind of?”
My face burned with embarrassment. “I mean, you are my first kiss.”
He held me at arm’s length. “I was your first?” he said again. For a moment, I saw a look of arrogance take over his features.
“Yes.”
He bent down again, lips capturing mine. I thought I might explode, my body screamed for so much more. Each touch sent me spiraling out of control.
Breathless, he pulled away again. “And now I’m your second, too.�
�
“If you keep this up you’re going to be my third, fourth, and fifth.”
Seconds later, the jingling of bells sounded and Ferdinand led the sleigh into the clearing.
“Hope you two had a good time.” His mouth twitched at the corners.
Great. I hoped he hadn’t been watching the make-out session.
“Yeah, it was fun.”
“And here I was, shooting for romantic.” Colton leaned over to whisper in my ear.
Nuzzling against him, I smiled. “That too.”
After we parked back at the cabin, Colton lifted me from the sleigh and I followed him back into the club. My eyes immediately came to rest on a guy sitting in the back corner with a black hoodie pulled up over his head. Shaggy blond hair peeked out from the edges.
I don’t know how I knew, but he was staring right at us. There was something very familiar about him. I felt drawn in his direction, but Colton tensed.
“We need to get out of here, now.” He dragged me through the crowd and I thought for a moment he might jerk my arm out of its socket.
He unlocked the truck and threw it into gear before my door even shut. The tires squealed and I fought to get my seat belt on.
We whipped onto the road and I gripped the armrest for dear life.
“Colton!” I screamed, wondering if I would live through the car ride home.
He seemed to snap out of whatever daze he’d been and glanced over at me. The vehicle slowed.
“Sorry. That guy back there is trouble. I didn’t want to have any run-ins with him. Not tonight.” He reached across the seat and laced his fingers through mine. “Forgive me?”
“What the hell is going on? You’re acting like a flipping maniac.” I tore my hand from his. Was his temper always this bad? I mean, the other day in the library he’d mentioned a fight. Was it with this same guy?
He focused back on the road. “I was trying to do the right thing. If we’d stayed, there’d have been a fight. Trust me, I don’t get along with that guy back there. The last thing I wanted to do is have you in the middle of a bar brawl.”
The Winter People Page 8